Between 2014 and 2022, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) allocated 8.6 billion euros to support non-agricultural activities in rural areas. This is revealed by a new study by the European Commission, which highlights the significant impact of the CAP in addressing the needs and addressing the actions established in the long-term vision for rural areas. "This demonstrates the role of the CAP not only in supporting farmers and agriculture, but also in strengthening other activities and communities in rural areas", reads a note from the European Commission.

The Commission highlights, among other things, the CAP's investments, for example, "in the construction of new public roads, [...] in the implementation of renewable energy solutions, or in the conversion of abandoned houses into community centres". Likewise, the CAP has helped "create spaces that offer digital services to rural communities, offering opportunities to organize training sessions, sporting events, performances or local school meetings".

In this regard, the Leader approach provides small but impactful projects and has helped create almost 60 thousand jobs and over 2500 local action groups (LAGs) covering a rural population of 170 million people. It also specifically targets areas that are economically disadvantaged, peripheral or remote, or home to vulnerable communities.

The study recognizes that the needs of rural areas are becoming more complex and its conclusions recommend adopting holistic policy approaches to target CAP and other EU funds even better at rural areas in the future.

Rural areas in the EU cover 83% of the EU's territory. Rural development is the "second pillar" of the common agricultural policy (CAP), which strengthens the "first pillar" of income supports and market measures by strengthening the social, environmental and economic sustainability of rural areas. In the 2014-2020 programming period, the CAP co-financed rural development programs implemented at EU regional or national level across the EU.

In the CAP 2023-27, EU countries have created various interventions, including agriculture-related and non-area-based initiatives such as investment, cooperation and knowledge exchange, in their CAP strategic plans to meet their different needs. In 2021, the European Commission presented its Long-Term Vision for the EU's rural areas, identifying the challenges and concerns they are facing, as well as the many opportunities available to them.

Attached to this EFA News is the full text of the European Commission study.